At one time, suzani embroidery was a national pastime for Uzbek women, who were supposed to have at least fifteen pieces ready for their dowries by the time they were old enough to marry. Like a lot of traditional crafts, however, suzani-making suffered under Soviet rule, when both indigenous culture and individual shows of artistry were discouraged. Post-independence, Uzbeks have been reviving their ancient arts, and Arabov Ahmad is one such entrepreneur. Collaborating with some 400 women in the village of Nurata, Arabov designs the suzanis and then provides the women, who work from home, with the cotton and silk threads to embroider them. Arabov’s designs feature both traditional and modern motifs. As for the dyeing of the threads, he does that the old-fashioned way, using natural dyes like indigo, pomegranate, walnut shells, onionskins, and grape leaves to capture every color of the rainbow. Read Less